


How We Came to Be

by Gowombat83



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Character, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Multi, OT3, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-08 23:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13468947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gowombat83/pseuds/Gowombat83
Summary: How OTP became OT3Alistair, Cullen, and Trevelyan began as the closest of friends....





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [felandaris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/felandaris/gifts).



Another regular Friday night, curled on the couch with her two best friends watching old movies- tonight it’s Lethal Weapon.

 

Trevelyans thoughts wandered as she stared unseeing at the screen. It’s strange how often the boys choose cop shows and movies considering their line of work. Alistair had been a fireman originally but after a few years he'd decided on a change of direction and joined the force.

 

Cullen had always known he wanted to be a Policeman; he wanted to protect, he wanted to serve, and he was good at it. The youngest Commander appointed in the AFP. And of course, that’s how he’d met Alistair. At his formal commendation dinner the best and brightest of his peers were present to celebrate his promotion, including the charismatic ginger SWAT Sargent. A chance cute-meet at the bar and they’d been together ever since.

 

When she’d met them it was through their mutual friend, Dorian. Dori was known for throwing the best parties, and this one had been a costumed event. She’d gone dressed as a naughty prisoner- in a tiny black and white striped dress, little cap perched on top of her pigtails, and a prop ball and chain fastened to one ankle above her 4 inch spiked heel. The outfit couldn’t have been planned any better to get their attention had she known who they were, or even that their attention was something she wanted. Instead she chalked it down to a happy twist of fate. The three of them become close friends practically from that first moment,  that was over two years ago now…

 

 She was jolted from her drifting thoughts by an elbow in the ribs.

 

“Trev, you alright there?” Alistair shifted his weight causing her to slump further across his legs.  

 

“Yeah, just daydreaming I guess. What were you saying?”

 

“I asked, if you had to do Riggs, John McLane from Die Hard, or Axle Foley from Beverley Hills Cop, who would you choose?” he asked, eyes glinting with mischief.

 

“Well, uhh, I know who you’d choose,” she deflected, giving him a shove. Cullen on his other side just chuckled.

 

“Ha, ha. No really, pick one.”

 

“Does it really matter?” she sighed, cheeks beginning to pink up.

 

“Oh-ho! Is that how it is?” he crowed, “you just love the uniform! How did I  _not_  know this about you?” he teased.

 

“I do not!” she denied, trying to slap away the hand that was tickling at her ribs.

 

“Cullen, quick, get our caps! And our badges!” he said through his laughter, still attacking the writhing woman across his lap.

 

“No, stop!” she yelled breathlessly, still fending off Alistair’s wriggling fingers with a new desperation. He couldn’t know how the conversation had suddenly slipped into dangerous territory.

 

“You do! Is that why you hang around with us, because you know we have handcuffs?” his mouth dropped open in a loud exaggerated gasp, “That explains your costume the night we met you!” at that his wide grin and freckled nose, his warm hazel eyes loomed over her- close, too close. Her heart began to speed up and she suddenly had to get out, get away, before he saw something he was never meant to see. Shoving roughly she flung herself from the couch, tried to play it off like it was all part of the fun, but her eyes were wide and a little wild, and her laughter strained.

 

“I.. I should go anyway,” she shrugged, turning to reach for her bag and coat. She tried to smile like everything was fine, but even as she did it she knew it wasn’t convincing.  Cullen still lounged on the other armrest, Ali laying along his side, but they both sit up as she turns to leave.

 

“Trev… Trevy!” Alistair frowned, confusion wrinkling his brow, eyes switching instantly from mirth to worry.

 

“You boys get so little time together, and it’s getting late. I’ll see you both later.” She bent and pressed a feather light peck to his forehead and another on Cullen’s, and made a quick retreat.

 

Before they knew what happened the door clicked shut and she was gone. The abrupt silence left them momentarily stunned, frozen side by side on the lounge.

 

“Al,” Cullen nudged him to follow, his concern evident in his amber eyes.

 

Alistair sprang from the chair and reached the door in two long strides. Yanking it open he made to run down the hall after her but nearly collided with Trevelyan leaning on the wall, her face buried in her hands.

 

“Hey..” he began softly. She jerked at the sound of his voice but didn’t look up, “Hey,” he grabbed her arm as she swung off the wall to hurry away. When she shrugged him off he sidestepped to cut off her retreat. “Trevy,” gently he gripped her in his large warm hands, long fingers easily wrapping her slender arms, “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing, it’s…. nothing,” head still bowed she kept her eyes trained determinedly on the floor between them.

 

“It’s not nothing, you’re upset. Please,” he pleaded, “Was it me? I was only teasing. I’m sorry…”

 

She couldn’t bare it, the concern in his voice.  Being the sweet man he was of course her behaviour had made him worry, made him think he’d done something wrong. Sucking up her courage she finally raised her eyes to meet his anxious gaze.

 

“No, it’s not you, Ali, honest, I…. I just, I think maybe it would be best if I stayed away for a while.”

 

His frown deepened, fingers reflexively tightened on her arms, “Trev, Why?” his voice low and raw, eyes misting,  “What did we do? What can I do?”

 

The tremor in his words broke her heart. They were her closest friends. This is exactly what she didn’t want, what she’d been trying to avoid. More than anything she didn’t want to hurt them. She took a steadying breath and rested a hand on his where he still held her, the other wiping away the dampness on her cheeks.

 

“It’s nothing, really, I’m fine. Forget I said anything,“ she smiled as warmly as she could, forcing it into her eyes, and patted his hand, “I just need some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch if you’re still keen, yeah?”

She tried to step back and go around but he wasn’t buying it.

 

“Tell me,” he grabbed her wrist again, gentle, but firm enough to know he wasn’t going to let her walk away.

 

“There’s nothing to tell.”

 

“Trev!”

 

“I…. can’t!”

 

“Why not?”

 

“It’s not…. I, just can’t,” the tears began to flow again. Why wouldn’t he drop this? She risked a glance at his face again, and the warm hazel eyes she dreamed about captured her. There was a weight to his stare that she wasn’t expecting, it held her, began to wear her down.

 

“Say it,” he pressed, low but firm. His expression only became more determined at the shake of her head, denying him.

 

“Just say it,” he insisted. The intensity of it all made her stomach quail and her mouth go dry. She could feel tension trembling through her body but she couldn’t break away.

 

“It will ruin everything,” she whispered, a fat wet tear spilling over her lashes as she blinked hard against the wave swelling in her chest.

 

“I don’t think it will,” his voice was calm now, steady.

 

“You don’t know what you’re asking…”

 

“I think I do.”

 

“I…. I’m..”

 

“Trev, just say it.”

 

“I… love you,” it came out on a whisper, “both of you.” She held her breath, eyes squeezed tightly shut and waited for what she knew was coming. There was silence for a heartbeat, then another. Why couldn’t she have just held it together? They had been fine, they were best friends, better that than nothing at all which is what she’d have now. When he did speak, what she heard was the last thing she expected.

 

“We love you too.”

 

“No,” she let out a pained groan, “you don’t understand. I’m  _in_  love with you. And with Cullen.”

 

“I know,” Alistair said softly, lifting her chin he bent to press a tender kiss to her upturned mouth. Too surprised at the unexpected move she didn’t resist, and in that instant her will broke. Falling into the feel of him, the taste of his lips hot on hers, she reciprocated. She’d dreamed of this, what it would feel like to kiss him, to be kissed by him, it didn’t come close to the heady bliss of the reality. Her lips parted and he seized on it to deepen their kiss. Cupping her cheek with one hand the other pressed their bodies flush together as his tongue danced with hers.

 

But out of the hazy fog her mind threw up a sudden alarm and she broke away, eyes wide and panicked, her blood flashed instantly cold with fear. She pushed both palms against his chest in an effort to shove him away, shame and guilt flooding through her.

 

“What are we doing? Cullen…”

 

“Cullen,” interrupted a deep baritone from behind her. She spun on the spot to face Alistair’s lover, her best friend, dread clenching her chest and throat knowing he’d have seen them.

 

“Oh God, Cullen, I’m so sorry, I….”

 

“ _Cullen_ ,” he cut her off again, more firmly but not unkindly, “loves you too,” his smooth rich voice gentle and warm. He took the three steps to close the distance between them. Steady and sure, he reached out and brushed a thumb along a high tear-stained cheekbone.

 

“ _We_ are in love with you, too, Trev.” They stood, Trevelyan sandwiched between the two men she helplessly had fallen for, her two best friends, and let their words sink in.

 

After a moment of stunned silence she sucked in a shaky breath, “It’s not a cop thing,’ she said, not knowing what else to say. They both chuckled, arms encircling her and each other as the tension broke.

 

“Though it doesn’t hurt, does it?" Alistair’s hot breath tickled the loose curls over her ear, then he pressed a sweet kiss to the side of her neck.

 

“And it’s not a gay-kink either,” she insisted earnestly. She wanted to reassure them that this wasn’t a shallow fantasy, that what she felt was real, but the words weren’t coming out right. Is this what shock feels like? “It’s a Cullen and Alistair thing. It’s you, both of you, I’m, I…. love  _you_.”

 

“Well, that’s good to know,” Cullen grinned crookedly at her adorable bumbling, he cradled her splotchy face in his large warm hands, his stunning topaz eyes crinkling in the corners with his smile, "because we're neither if us strictly gay.."

 

Alistair chuckled at her back, his eyes meeting his lovers over her shoulder, “so it’s not a girl-kink for us either…”  

 

“It’s a Trevy thing,” Cullen finished, as he ducked to meet her lips with his own.


	2. Bonus

Cullen could hear the clinking of cups and the rattle of the cutlery draw from the kitchen while he settled a pale and dazed Trev back on their couch. He tucked her into the soft cushions and pulled a blanket around her.

 

“You just sit there a moment, sweetling,” he ran his fingers once through her hair and smiled fondly down at his new lover. Pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head he went to help Ali with the tea.

 

Sliding up behind him Cullen wrapped his love in his arms, pulling Alistair back into his chest he rested his chin on his broad shoulder.

 

“So..."

 

“So.”

 

“That didn’t go too badly.”

 

“It was better than I expected, though not how I’d have preferred to broach the subject.”

 

Alistair huffed in amusement, “It wasn’t the smoothest way to go about it but,” he shrugged, pouring the boiled water into three mugs.

 

“We had to take the opportunity we were given,” Cullen agreed. “It wasn’t how we planned, but we could have lost her tonight otherwise.”

 

“I know. We got there in the end though,” he grinned over his shoulder at Cullen while stirring their tea.

 

“That we did,” Cullen kissed the soft skin behind Ali’s ear, and rested his forehead against the crook of his neck with a contented sigh.

 

“We’re doing the right thing. This feels right.”

 

“I think so.”

 

“I couldn’t imagine our lives without her,” he finished adding the sugar and milk and handed one cup back to Cullen to take. Grabbing the other two he turned to face his handsome Commander, a wide smile on his lips “I can’t believe this is really happening.” 

 

“Are you happy?” Cullen asked, a twinkle in his honeyed gaze.

 

“More than happy. You?”

 

“Mmhmm. I love you, you know.”

 

“I love you, too.” Alistair leaned in to Cullen, a sweet meeting of lips in a familiar and yet somehow excitingly new kiss. They both turned at a soft giggle from the doorway to the living room. Trevelyan, still wrapped in her shawl leaned against the doorframe, a lopsided grin on her face and a cheeky glint in her eye.

 

“If you two dorks are ready, we have a lot to talk about.”

 

“Dorks!”

 

“Outrageous!”

 

Their indignant cries accompanied by the joyful peels of her laughter.


End file.
